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the-noodle-king · 4 years

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I’ve drawn a lot this month, relatively! just yesterday I did these two drawings back to back of my OC Reggie (also called RJ).

Since I’ve never actually written anything about him anywhere before, I figure this post is a good chance to do that, so I’m gonna write about his character design and how I developed it, his characterisation and whether or not he’s actually part of any kind of story or universe (Spoiler Alert, the answer is Maybe)

Okay so, first things first, his character design.

Reggie’s design came primarily from one idea, but also from two smaller ideas. The instigating idea for his design was a couple articles of clothing I found in a local shop, a pair of pink and black boots, and a black and yellow jacket.

I grabbed pics of them and filed them away as inspiration for a future drawing. When I set about making said drawing I was really just throwing ideas at the page to see what stuck. Now a jacket and a pair of boots might be enough for some people to make a full character design, but I need a little more to grease the wheels as it were.

Enter the other two smaller ideas.

I had some other images saved for inspiration (which I won’t add to the post as standalone images because they’re someone else’s art) and I had a very old OC with no story and only half of a poorly drawn design to his name - RJ.

^ this dude was not only one of my first attempts to make an overwatch OC, but was straight up one of my first digital drawings, ever. I always kind of wanted to come back to his design and make it... Good, but I never had the motivation. Then when I was figuring out how I wanted to combine the pink and black fur trimmed boots with the black, grey and yellow jacket, I decided I’d take some of the tiny grains of RJ here that I had wanted to salvage into a decent design, and do just that.

^ this here is the original mood board of refs I used to make the original drawing of Reggie.

I took the boots more or less verbatim, but brought the yellow from the jacket down into them, the jacket I embellished with asymmetrical padding and added a hood with fur lining to tie it in with the boots, then I brought the pink of the boots up through the design into the sword’s scabbard, his glove, shirt and hair.

The hair style was based on RJ’s original do, a shorter back and sides then spiked and swooshed on top; from RJ’s original design I also took the base colour for his metal plating and the general idea of his various belts, as seen in Reggie’s diagonal belt and thigh straps (made yellow to tie the grey trousers into the colour scheme) and his thigh plating. Reggie’s skin tone was also based on RJ’s, though tweaks were made to it both at the time of designing Reggie and one making these new drawings.

Finally the impractically large sword and matching metal glove, as well as his floating, cyber-mystical metal plates were added using inspiration from the other images.

In the brand new drawings I did, I made some tweaks to his design, small ones to his metal glove and floating metal plates, of which I added another to his lower left leg. I also made the glowing... port? on his left shoulder have a metal surround so it’s not just a big cyberpunk light right in the fabric of the jacket.

I gave him a shield to complement his sword (sadly hiding his pink fingerless glove from the drawings, meaning one of the few pink elements isn’t shown) and gave his sword a design outside of the scabbard, which I hadn’t done previously.

And that was the whole process of his character design. It was an interesting process to attempt certainly, and one I enjoyed a lot at the time, which I also used as an excuse to try a different colouring method than what I did before, and liked so much I still do it now.

Now, about his characterisation and story design/concepts.

The short version of it is, Reggie is a standalone OC who was created without a story, but who I would like to develop one for, and intend to design other characters in the same vein as him in the future to do so. But since he was created without a setting and I’ve not done anything with him since creating him (before now), he doesn’t really have any characterisation to speak of, just vague ideas that I have for what he might be like which could change depending on what kind of story I try to build him into.

The long version is... Well a lot longer.

When I first designed him, some of the kinds of ideas I used involved the thought processes I use when making my overwatch OC’s, and the original RJ was an OW OC, so I could have made him into one as well if I had wanted. The “Design Ideas” I mean are things like, a limited colour pallet, cyber punk elements like the metal plates and lights in clothing, and things that enhance the silhouette and make the character stand out like the huge sword and the way it hangs from his waist, the floating metal plates, the big, blocky metal gauntlet on an otherwise innocuous body and the bright pink hair.

But I also used another set of design ethos’; those that I used for my RWBY oc’s back in the day. The big sword and the way it’s carried was also inspired by the bold weaponry from RWBY, and was even originally meant to be able to transform between being a sword and being a scythe, as well as a gun, in true RWBY fashion. The limited colour pallet and brightly coloured hair were other things which doubled up for these design ideas, and the overall look of Reggie’s outfit, the asymmetrical quilting, black and grey base with bright pops of colour to break it up, the fur trims, all inspire more of a RWBY look to me than an Overwatch one. But in the end he wasn’t either, because I didn’t want him to be either. In the new drawings I refined certain elements for the sake of visual clarity, like removing the runes from his floating metal plates and simplifying their shapes, but I also made changes which, for me, shifted him away from the feel of belonging to either franchise, slightly. I forwent the transforming nature of the sword and added a small personal shield to give him more of a cyber-punk knight vibe, as well as accentuating the glowing yellow lights in the design by adding more of them through the unsheathed sword and the shield, as well as the redesigned floating plates. He’s still undeniably a fusion of the two styles, they’re both franchises that I’ve created a lot of original characters for specifically because of enjoying the way their characters are designed, regardless of my intent, a vaguely cyber-punk character with an oversized weapon and bright pink hair is going to look like they belong to one or the other, if not both. And I’m okay with that.

But back to the matter at hand- He’s 100% not an OC from anything preexisting, and when I made him I didn’t make him for a story idea I already had, and I didn’t create a story idea for him to slot into during or after creating him... So does he have one now, as I’m writing this, after having drawn him again, twice, back to back, out of the blue? No, not exactly. I am working on something, as I always am; the gears are grinding and I’m piecing together little thoughts here and there of some ‘maybe’s’ and ‘what if’s’, and I fully intend to design some more characters like Reggie to all exist in the same universe and to be part of a story. I’m just not there yet.

As for his present characterisation, I originally conceived him as being unnaturally happy go lucky and a tad hyperactive, but I’ve now got him in my mind as being just generally passionate across the board, not just happy go lucky and hyperactive, but also very positive, optimistic, comedic, capable of reacting tearfully to just about anything and likely being just a little ditzy. Real Anime Protagonist energy.

#Original Character #Reggie / RJ #art #Paint Tool SAI #character design #For the sake of my OCD I need to tag this with /something/ to designate fandom or Original Story even though he doesn't /have/ one #so for the time being let's call this #Metal Hands Are The Devil's Workshop #MHatDW

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saint-patrice · 5 years

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“Tbh I would like to have the 34 *other* Bergy pics on your shortlist, complete with commentary lolol. And then (if you’re still waiting that is) any other Marchy pics with commentary? xD xD”

here are some more of my favourite marchy pics, complete with my bizarre personal commentary, for anon! the 34 bergy pics can be found here also!

Note: a few people have said they like these posts, so i’m up for taking people’s requests if there’s a particular player they’d like to see! inbox is always open (and anon is on) so just drop me your request and i’ll get working on it :)

okay so this is some absolutely premium cute marchy!! the smile that manages to be completely self-confident yet in no way cocky? the polite little wave as he surveys his audience who, if i recall correctly, were booing him heavily?? oh i do love you mr rat. marchy is fantastic and i have so much respect for the way he deals with his reputation across the league and the excessive amount of shit he gets.he knows what people think of him yet doesn’t seem to let it get to him. i have so much love for him.

KATRINA IS LEGENDARY. before moving on to the part of the image that gave me whiplash when i first saw it, we’re back to talking about brad’s smile. i think i said it in my last post but he really is one of those people who smiles with their whole face - even if you just saw his eyes in this photo you can immediately tell that he’s got that little grin on his face and that’s adorable tbh. now onto the d*lf mug (censored bc i fear the dodgy underground porn blogs these days)… i don’t even know where to start. i feel like he very proudly bought it for himself. and it’s like the only mug he ever wants to drink out of. just my take. i also think the longer hair really suits marchy ngl

ahhh the boys and their dirtbag christmas suits 💛 highlights of this image are the suit jacket that is definitely just one size too small for this absolute man rocket, and the pants with “FRAGILE” plastered all over them - very relatable if not at all festive.

gay rights are stored in the rat!!! i’m glad marchy has been pretty open about his support of LGBT stuff, particularly within hockey. also i feel like some of the stuff he’s said in interviews or social media (esp re: lickgate) manages, even if not intentionally, to be quite diminutive towards implicit homophobia or ‘toxic masculinity’ within hockey. okay maybe that that was poorly expressed but basically he just doesn’t give a shit and appears very open and accepting and i think that’s super nice. this picture also makes for a good reaction image when someone says something dumb

short kings love.jpeg !! a wonderful example of the love that brad shows his teammates on a regular basis, despite his constant chirping. i have no real opinions on torey krug (no h8, i just don’t think i’ve seen that much of him off ice so idk) but him and marchy are quite the duo tbh, i live for their back and forths on twitter - more on that later - and they seem to love each other an awful lot, it’s v cute :^)

that’s my pest™. honestly i think lickgate is one of the best scandals in recent hockey history. when looking for a good image of this is saw an article where some dipshit reporter was outraged about it and was like “how would you feel if someone just came up and liked you?” i mean what if someone just came up and started punching you or hip-checked you into the wall????? hockey is a nasty game a lot of the time, and instead of giving people concussions or broken bones (not that he hasn’t in the past ik…) marchy managed to make opposing teams just as angry, if not moreso, just by licking players. i think it’s fucking hilarious. and most of them took it well in hindsight anyway - i think it was komarov who said he kinda liked it lmaoooooo. peak bradley kevin antics if you ask me

every pic from the china trip has such a special place in my heart. this is just an all-round adorable photo and brad is looking gorgeous in the sunlight and his backwards cap

brad waving the towel in surrender is just about the funniest thing i’ve ever seen someone do in the penalty box… i can’t believe they gave him a 10 minute misconduct for it, something i think they’d wouldn’t have done if it had have been someone else. at least someone in this league has a goddamn sense of humour. the penalty minutes stat in the corner just makes this even better

brad, once again, showing us how we should deal with people talking shit about us - just get on board with it. i love how much he’s just embraced his massive nose and his height and his general reputation. idk if it’s really deliberate but i think it’s such a good message to send, and it makes for some pretty funny stuff too.

brad single-handedly keeps nhl refs in a job. in my bruins drinking game™ you have to take a shot every time the ref has to physically restrain marchy (2 if it’s because he was going to get revenge or fend for bergy) and you could get fucked off that alone during some games. it was nice to see him not actually get suspended this year, but i will always love that he’s such a physical player and quite the pest on the ice :))

me: *slaps helmet of brad marchand* this bad boy can fit so much personality.

really though, can you believe he’s managed to squeeze more charisma into only 5 feet and 9 inches than 85% of the league combined… very cute picture, and always lovely to see him by bergy’s side on the ice where he belongs

oh my goddddddd how fucking cute is this though!!!! the hat! the dad energy those jeans and the boots give off!!! his face!! his little daughter!!!!! i can’t take it, my heart is going to burst.

(gif via @kureally) this is also just so cute, i need a minute. brad has some very powerful eyebrows and this gif displays them wonderfully. this section of behind the b was also pretty sweet all round, and i agree with pasta that the hair is looking pretty first class

(gif via @murlin09) i am not like into marchy (no tea no shade if u are though), but this gif… whew. i’ll let you come to your own conclusions on this one, gang

i was not lying when i said more on the brad-torey social media antics earlier. there are some truly iconic chirps (the zamboni one is lethal), but this self-roast just kills me every time. i never once thought i’d read a tweet from the official brad marchand twitter account that opened with “hey shorty” but here we are. “my nose wouldn’t fit” i astral projected the first time i read that. and if you’re wondering what torey said to prompt this, it was simply “hey marchy”. it doesn’t take much for brad to light on you, huh? we better watch our backs

definitely a favourite marcheron pic right here - the pucks and paddles (i still think that’s a questionable name but maybe that’s a me issue) content is always top notch. if you can find the video, it’s even better, but this picture captures the general energy of the video perfectly. the only thing missing is that brad’s feet aren’t actually on the floor because the height difference is so pronounced that bergy has to lift him. beautiful

return of the cute brad smile!! a cute yet mischievous little grin, i can only assume he’s restraining himself from laughing at m*tthews fivehead (although who is he to talk with that schnozz. at least he rocks it tbf 👃🏻). not sure blue is really his colour but he’s going for it anyway. that’s my all star!

it’s been days since this photo first surfaced and i haven’t stopped palpitating. the cutest photo ever, they all look so happy and i love that!!! also how are their wives so beautiful….!? oh my every pixel of this image is just stunning

i know i included this in my last bergy list but if they can name new york twice i think i can put this on 2 lists, because lord knows it’s even more iconic. i feel like this is a good metaphor for brad marchand: getting up to no good, although still relatively harmless, all the while supported by the considerably more sensible, yet still entertaining, patrice bergeron. additionally, another excellent display of the oft-overlooked fact that this man is built like a motherfucking tank. holy shit

i wish i could see these boys in suits without my brain immediately trying to think of some sort of au. anyway, i really like this look on brad (unpopular opinion - i love his loud checkered suits as a concept but i don’t think they look good). although he has dark hair, strong eyebrows, and dark facial hai, the all black actually looks really good on him. coffee in hand really adding to the look too - well done, brad “fashionista” marchand.

ahhhhh i love nothing more than family man marchy 💛 his daughter is adorable - those tiny jerseys kill me - and i love that his son is wearing the all-star jersey omg how cute (he is definitely going to end up taller than brad lmao)

sometimes i forget that brad is short and then i see photos like this (brandon is 6′5 for reference)…amazing. i relate to the lady on the left on a spiritual level. brad’s face is a mood and a half. his feet are half a foot of the ice at least. i adore this photo.

(gif via @brandoncarlo) absolutely one of my fav things about watching bruins games is how brad and patrice will always find each other during a celly - nothing beats the 100 hug. this is also just a very satisfying skating gif that i love.

last but very very very far from least is this. there is literally no need for me to make any comment on this so i’m just going to leave it and go. bradley kevin marchand you are iconic and ily

ayyy this was super fun to do, thank you for requesting it anon, i hope you like!! again, i’m absolutely up for taking requests for more of these lists so hmu if you have ideas :)

#my bergy post was pure thirst for the most part #this is just me appreciating the true iconicness that is marchy #the effort i went to to not use 'iconic' every third word...bc he just is #answered #Anonymous #bruins photos compilations #bruins #marchand

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yjwtracey · 3 years

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WEEK 2: Reflections, Research and Critical Analysis (cont.)

Reflection (cont.)

Following this week’s class and narrowing down what sort of installation I wanted to create, currently I am taking a strong liking to the idea of projection mapping (if not possible with the venue, lighting works) (with sound and a video played on the screen in the middle of the theatre*) in Capitol Theatre. I also feel like the intricate patterns on the sides of the theatre and on the ceiling could add to my project in providing more depth (to just projection mapping)

*For now with the video I am thinking of an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (1951) inspired sequence where we see a character initiate a sequence like Alice falling into the rabbit hole and have that lead to the rest of the work (projection mapping, sound) - however, I must also take into consideration here issues with syncing the video and projection mapping.

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2017/screening-melbourne/melbournes-capitol-theatre/

As for the idea of projection mapping, stemming of the last blog entry’s technical research, I feel like creating what C.G Jung described as hypnagogic imagery that is then projection mapped around the building could definitely create a hypnagogic experience, using bright colours, shadows and patterns (also identified in the last entry).

The thought of the sides of the theatre reminding me of crystal shards also crossed my mind. My speculations proved true as found in Annette Condello’s article on the theatre, the “crystalline modern interior comprising abstracted prismatic stalactites”, when initially commissioned for, Herman Phillips “showed the architects a handful of colourful crystals obtained in Austria in the hope that the interior would resemble a crystal cave with a glazed ceiling” (Condello 2018)

‘Crystal gazing’ was also a technique implemented by C.G Jung to trigger his hypnagogic experiences so this knowledge may prove more useful than I thought and aim to possibly explore on the side next week.

Creative analysis:

[TW: Flash, strobing]

vimeo

Ref: https://vimeo.com/channels/1409335/267461156

To stimulate ideas I searched the word ‘hypnagogia’ up on Behance and through a series of clicking through works and related works, I found this film created by Pierre-Luc Vaillancourt with sound design by Jon Claude Bieschke. I found this piece particularly interesting for its quick flashes of colour (and lava imagery?) and strobing, the in-and-out nature speeding up representing the grey or ‘twilight’ area between wakefulness and sleep. Accompanied with the audio, I found this visual a heart-palpitating experience, which is personally something I have experience with hypnagogia myself. Of the examples mentioned in this entry, this film creates a less euphoric and perhaps sits in a tense and disturbed state on the Circumplex model of affect/emotion.

youtube

Through searching, I also encountered a drug-induced visualised game and UI/UX experience that is interactive from a first-person point of view. The use of surrealism is very apparently throughout the entire work. Initially we see brighter more vivid colour and are situated in an open space before the gamer is to navigate their way to darker and more enclosed spaces filled with shadows.

A sequence in the game dealing space and (initiating the motion of Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit-hole) occurs around the 1:00:34-1:00:57 timestamp. I find it interesting also how the creators behind the game have chosen to have the user sort of ‘float’ through this area, while an 8-bit clicking sound plays in the background alongside ominous noises. Overall I think creating a shift in affect from a more tranquil to restless state was interesting and kept the player on their toes.

Stemming off that idea of projection mapping I took to researching and analysing works that dealt with the idea:

Funnily enough, upon looking up ‘Capitol Theatre’ I came across an image (not from the one in Melbourne) but another Capitol Theatre that projection mapped what I sort of envisioned and spoken about in previous entries or found aspiring in other artists and designers’ works.

Ref: https://shorefire.com/roster/the-capitol-theatre

This projection mapping piece is vibrant in colour which is also typical of the colours used in hypnagogic imagery. The spherical nature of the shapes being projected also remind me a lot of Oscar Oiwa’s ‘Black and Light’, opening up more space in the theatre but at the same time seeming enclosed and intimate. I find it particularly interesting that with the projection mapped spheres, the theatre itself seems more dome-like, hence creating that intimacy. I also find it interesting how the artist has chosen to use a water-puddle like effect, this really got me thinking about texture and the sort of day-to-day imagery I’d be able to use and visually alter in my own piece. I also find it interesting that reflecting/mirroring the vortices to create a to create a larger being of organic shapes is nifty (and why I think it opens and creates the illusion of space visually). Overall, I think this piece plays with metaphysics and space (much like Oiwa’s work) and additionally, its fluid nature/texture makes for a more euphoric and calming piece.

When it comes to projection mapping and interactive projection mapping experiences, TeamLabs is well-known in the field.

The particular works that intrigued me were: ‘Drawing on the water surface’

youtube

Ref: https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/installation/interactive-installations-by-teamlab/

Structured in a black box, the work utilises visually stimulating colours that align to being hypnagogic. The colours are not only bright and vibrant but are also accentuated through illumination, making it seem magical. What drew me to the work in particular, was the projecting mapping on a body of water. Like I mentioned with the previous example, the fluidity of water brings about a nature of calmness, heightening the euphoria in this experience. I feel like by physically having to step into a body of water in a black box also, it would feel slightly disorienting which is a concept explored in hypnagogic experiences (and discussed in the first week of class). Also not being able to see part of your legs can also simulate a sort of experience like you have partially and temporarily entered an alternative universe of sorts (and a very beautiful one at that in this case).

I also think using the black box against brightly illuminated colours creates an illusion of space, the mirrors in the space extending that illusion of space even further and creating a sense of telopsia.

References: Condello, Annette. 2018. "Garish Luxury and the “Constructed Landscape”: Transcending the Colour of Opals in the Griffins’ Capitol Theatre" Arts 7, no. 4: 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts70400

#week2 #a1

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natzeeab1962 · 3 years

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SPLITING HAIRS OVER SPLITTING BODIES

On a typical day of enduring the drudgery of professional pretense in my old workplace, I chanced upon a news item regarding acclaimed Filipino Film Director, Amable “Tikoy” Aguiluz’s aborted Manananggal Project for Hollywood. For reasons not entirely clear, the project fell through. In discussing the project’s failure to launch, Tikoy bemoaned not being able to shoot the opening scene he had already conjured. It was the Manananggal circling the Empire State Building on its way to hunting prey in the whole borough of Manhattan.

For those not in the in the know, the Manananggal, also known by its categorical name Aswang, is the stuff of Philippine goblin folklore; a creature that severs its torso from its other half (hence the label) and roams the moonlit skies hunting for nourishment. The creature usually dwells in the countryside and is believed to prey mostly on infanticipating women in their first semester. It lands on the roof of a Nipa Hut (a native shack made of indigenous materials, chief of which is Bamboo and Nipa leaves), and there slips its long forked tongue through the cracks or slats and carves out the fetus of its unsuspecting victim. If there are no preggy moms to feast on, it makes do with its usual staple of human liver (raw and bloody, natch).

I’m not sure if it was Aguiluz’s failed attempt to put the Manananggal on the global cinematic map that got me started on my own Manananggal fauxibility. One thing for sure, the image of the creature roaming and scouring for human cuisine in a highly urbanized setting such as New York city brought me back to my childhood haunts.

In the early 70s, a tabloid report exploded about a Manananggal sowing terror in the metro. As if to amp-up the scare factor, the article went on to talk about reported victims, albeit anonymous, and the public was advised to take necessary precautions. As asinine and preposterous as that news might sound today, there were some adults who were not quick to junk it as hokum (pretty much like the Trumpbeciles who still believe their Il Douche won the election). I chanced upon some conversations in my neighborhood, where men in their early 20s babbled about spiking a lei of garlic on their window frames as a surefire measure to make them impervious to the Manananggal’s assaults while they slept (just like vampires, the Manananggal is averse to the scent of garlic). Others bragged about their augmented arsenal of salt, ready to do damage in case the Mananggal’s abandoned half showed up somewhere (as per folklore, vast amounts of sodium spread on the creature’s abandoned trunk would inhibit it from grafting its torso back leading to its demise).

These guys were not being facetious. Most believed that the creature was not just some figment of a twisted reporter or old wives’ imagination. Some based the veracity of its existence on hearsay that the creature walked amongst us in broad daylight. They transacted business; they rode public utility vehicles; they could even act as a Good Samaritan, lending a hand to someone who might need it in the street. No one would suspect that this wolf in sheep’s skin sitting or standing next to him could be coming after him or his pregnant wife that same evening. If you were sharp enough, this was how you could spot an Aswang amongst the crowd. No ridge or groove ran across its upper lip, making that portion beneath its nose as smooth as a grazed plain.

My mom was among those who scoffed at that news. My impressionable mind though would not agree and she had her own stories to blame for why I ignored my throbbing bladder in the middle of the night just to avoid gazing at the bedroom window where the creature could just pop up.

As a young girl growing up in the province, she too, heard rumors about the Manananggal preying on their community. Those stories naturally stuck with her on those nights she was asked to run errands like fetch water in remote places. (Why her mother chose her to be the designated runner and not her three other siblings could be attributed to middle-child syndrome which deserves another story on its own. My grandma reckoned that if the creature was coming after her children, it was her third child that should be on top of the pecking order).

On those errands, my mom might have picked up some disturbing noises along the way. However, the spooky sounds failed to put a face or figure to it that would have easily brought the fear of the creature in her. Sure, she might have felt goosey at some point but she resolved not to be subdued by fear. Instead, she looked for something lethal to defend herself. She then dared whatever was lurking in the dark to show up, ready to sling it with the hard object in her hand while pelting it with colorful language that should never come out of a kid’s mouth. The creature never showed its face. Apparently, it was averse not just to garlic and sodium but to feisty little girls with salty language. After that, she was possibly more predisposed to believe Santa slipping through the cracks of their thatched roof than the Manananggal landing on it.

She had another story though about her older brother with a not-so similar experience. While on his walk home, he sensed somebody tailing him and saw a woman in a flowing white gown with eyes as dead as the night. He scampered off, paused, bent forward, and peered between his legs, perhaps based on what he heard was a preventive measure to keep the hell hound of his tail. What he saw next was just that; the woman had turned into a black dog snarling at him. He scurried off without looking back. The dog/woman obviously didn’t give chase as he managed to reach home unscathed. As to why, go figure.

With those memories in mind, my own little Toy Truck process got me going. As I was plowing on, it became clear that I wanted to avoid the trap of another Spook-and-Shock-Them tale. There’s just way too much of that already in those clunky and campy Tagalog flicks. What I was gunning for, much like Coppola did for the mob genre, was fashion my Manananggal story into a family saga like The Godfather (or at least come within proximity of that).

What came of it was Jebediah Magtanggal and his tale “The Honorable Magtanggals”, the second installment of the trilogy “Heroic Fauxibilities”. Following the thematic thread that binds all three books, Jebediah is an ordinary guy thrust into extraordinary circumstances. An orphan left under a tree and adopted by a poor childless couple, Jebediah doesn’t discover his otherworldly feral nature until the age of five. When he makes his first kill, he is beset with guilt. After that, he resolves to live by the moral code to only hunt those that deserve to be chewed out of this world.

If there’s a Yin there has to be Yang, right? The Yang in this case is his own family with whom he enjoins to live by his code. However, in due time, his family wages a mutiny led by his wife. Under her influence, their children stray from their raison d’ etre by using their condemned abilities not just for nourishment but to feed a much baser instinct, that is, to use that power to subvert both the powerful and the powerless.

Of all my babies so far, this book proved the most difficult to get in shape, despite how easily it commenced. Even when the book was ready to go to print, I was doing last minute revisions and rewrites. I wanted to insert as many why’s and wherefores while still leaving lots of room for the imagination to speculate about certain things. The time it took me to do that almost proved costly. The final version of the book almost never made it to print, partly due to my failure to advise the publisher that I was still tinkering with the manuscript. But all’s well that ends well and what eventually emerged is the story of Jebediah that I found gratifying to tell.

Did I achieve my intentions? I would like you be the judge of that. Here’s hoping you can check out my book available on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Fauxibilities-Heroic-Honorable-Magtanggals/dp/1952894433/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2MUW4P631VSMN&dchild=1&keywords=the+honorable+magtanggals&qid=1607562252&sprefix=the+honorable+magtang%2Caps%2C390&sr=8-2) and Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fauxibilities-series-natzee-ab/1137630280?ean=9781952894435). Let me know what you think.

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tellerford-mayhem · 6 years

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Americano - No Hablo su Jesus Cristo Chapter 4

Masterlist

Ship: Chibs x OC

Word Count: 2,710 Words

Synopsis: Another member of SAMCRO learns who Isa is and wants to bring it to the table. Chibs has been tasked with protecting her.

Rating: M

Warnings: Language, Sexual Innuendos, Mentions of Death and Self Harm

A/N: Here is chapter 4. I hope everyone likes it. I have a special surprised planned for chapter 5!

Her POV

She sat in her bathroom holding the razor in her left hand. She stared at the blade and the scars on her wrists as she contemplated her next move. Isa knew the pain it would cause her if she followed through, but all of her emotions had left her body, leaving her soul shriveled and stale. Her bitter view on the world led her to believe that the only way she could feel again was through self-harm. Images from the hospital and therapists’ offices flooded her memory. She knew this was wrong and she could feel real emotions again, but right now this was the only way she knew how to cope.

There was a knock at the door. “Isa?” It was Wolf. “Isa, he’s gone.”

She set the razor down and wiped her eyes. Opening the door, she looked at him with puffy eyes. He gazed past her and saw the blade, but he chose not to mention it. “I told him he was no longer welcomed here.”

“I’m sure he will listen to your warning.”

Wolf shook his head. “I'm just trying to look out for you.”

Isa walked passed him into her room; he followed. She stood, looking at her mirror where a picture of her father was. “Do you think he's telling the truth?” She asked softly.

Wolf sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Does it matter? That lifestyle is what killed your parents.”

“It does matter, Wolf! If they didn't do it, then he can help me find out who did!”

“And what are you going to do about it, Isa? Kill them? You know you can't do that!”

She could feel the heat on her face: rage. She was used to feeling this way when talking about her parents. She could never think of a memory about them where she doesn't instantly become enraged. “I think you should go now,” she said, turning to him.

“Isa…”

“Get out!” She exclaimed.

Wolf accepted defeat and left. She sat on her bed, still looking at the picture on her mirror. If Chibs was right, the last few years of her life were a lie. She felt so lost in her hatred that it became overwhelming. She passed out on her bed, clutching her Father's T-shirt, holding on to everything she loved in one single article of clothing.

Chibs POV

He returned to the clubhouse to find Jax and Tig sitting at the bar. He sat down next to him and poured a shot of Jameson, knocked it back and did another. “Rough night?” Jax asked.

He scoffed. “Ye could say tha’.”

“Where have you been?” Tig followed up.

Chibs took another shot. “With our little Native friend.”

He smiled. “Nice!” he offered his hand for a high-five.

“No’ like tha’! I tried tellin’ her about her da’.”

Jax looked down the bar at him. “We have nothing to tell her. What did you say?”

“Look, Jackie Boy, I had no choice.”

Tig took a drink and said, “What the hell are you two talking about?”

“The Chief’s niece. She thinks we killed her dad, so Chibs wants to do some digging for her.”

Tig nodded. “Can’t say that I blame you, Chibby. Go after the one with daddy issues.”

Chibs shook his head at his brother. He had a morbid sense of humor with tastes way different than his own. Despite the fact he couldn’t ignore her beauty and fiery temper that made his pants a little tight, he was not about to prey on her vulnerability. “I’m no’ interested in tha’, brother.��

He grinned. “Maybe the next time she needs a tail…”

Jax laughed. “She will cut your dick off, dude.”

“Even better,” Tig smiled.

Jax and Chibs shook their heads. Tig was off in his own little fantasy, so Chibs turned Jax and said, “Ye still haven't heard anythin’ from Otto?”

“Nah, man. He said he's asked all around, but he thinks he's got someone willing to talk from one of Darby's crew.”

“Darby?”

“Yeah. He says he wants out of the life, so he's willing to break all ties and give him any information we want.”

Chibs smiled. “Well, hopefully he's got something to say about Mateo.”

“Mateo Alvarez?” Tig came out of his trance. “Is her dad Mateo Alvarez?”

Jax’s eyes widened. “You can't say anything. We've been following her for weeks. She's not in bed with the Mayans.”

“Does Clay know?”

Jax and Chibs shared a worried look. “No.”

“This isn't good, Jax. She's one of them. She knows about our op with the Wahewa.”

“Tig, she no’ goin ta tell. I've been followin’ her for a while. She knows the consequences if she talks.”

“We gotta tell Clay, man. He should at least be aware of it.”

“Clay will kill her.”

Tig thought about it for a moment. “How do you know Otto hasn't told him?”

“Otto doesn't know the whole reason as to why we are looking into this.”

“I don't like this. I don't like keeping secrets from Clay.”

“Tig, just wait until we figure our shit out, please.”

He nodded. “Fine. But figure it out soon.” He finished his drink and walked back to the apartment in the clubhouse.

Jax turned to Chibs. “Go get her. Keep her safe.”

Chibs grabbed his kutte off the bar and briskly walked back to his bike. He just knew trying to convince her to come with him was going to be an impossible task.

Her POV

She had been asleep for about an hour when she heard the knocking at the front door. She rolled her eyes, ready to stab Wolf. Isa told him she was going to be fine and that he didn’t need to check on her, but she knew he was persistent. She pulled on some sweatpants she found on her floor and went to answer the door. In her half asleep state, she was shocked when she opened the door and saw the Scot standing there with his arms folded. “Took ye long enough, lass,” he said, letting himself in, “go pack a bag. Yer comin’ with me.”

“Like hell I am,” Isa angrily whispered.

“I’m no’ givin’ ye much of a choice. I’m doin’ it to protect ye.”

“I don’t need protection.”

He sighed and rubbed his face. “Look, someone else in the club kens who ye are. Jax wants me to keep ye safe until this blows over.”

“And what am I going to tell my family?”

“Nothin’. Call them in the mornin’ and make somethin’ up.”

She rolled her eyes, too tired to fight. “Why can’t we leave in the morning? I’m exhausted.”

“Go pack a bag, lassie.”

Isa sluggishly walked back to her room and grabbed some essentials. She grabbed a hoodie and slipped it over her pajama top. Annoyed, she threw her backpack on over her shoulder and followed Chibs out the door to his bike. She climbed on behind him and strapped his helmet to her head. “How long am I going to be in hiding? I do have a job, you know.”

“I ken. The Prospect will take ye to yer job.”

She let out an audible sigh to express her inconvenience. “Let’s go. The sooner we get there, the sooner I get to sleep.”

He started his bike and quickly sped away to her temporary home for the foreseeable future. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him as she rested her head on his back, allowing the wind and the sound of the road lull her into a state of hypnosis and total relaxation. Her exhaustion was getting the best of her the longer the drive took. Finally he pulled into the driveway and helped her off his bike. He had taken her back to his place to hide her. The club would not expect her to be here; they would check with Marcus first. She rubbed her eyes and looked around at the small condo. “Where am I?” She asked.

“My condo,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow at him and crossed your arms. “Oh no. Take me to Marcus.”

“I canna do tha’, lass. I have a pull out couch…”

“That you're going to sleep on.”

“Aye. Stay away from the windows and don’ answer the door.”

Isa leaned against the door frame. “Which way to bed?”

“End of the hall to yer right.”

She started down the hall and then turned around to face him. “Do not get any ideas. Bother me in my sleep again, and you'll be dead.”

He smiled. “I ken. I canna protect ye if I'm dead, anyway.”

She ignored his charm and headed to his room. The bed was unmade, clothes were strewn across the floor, and on the nightstand was a picture of a woman and a small child. Isa grabbed the picture and looked at her. She was a beautiful woman with dark curly hair. The little girl looked just like her mother, but held a small resemblance to Chibs as well. She was startled when she heard him clear his throat. “Sorry,” Isa said, “who is she?”

“My wife and daughter.”

“She won't mind that I'm staying…”

He shook his head. “She dinna live 'ere.” He grabbed a pillow and blanket off his bed. “She dinna give a damn what I do.”

Isa, astounded, watched him walk down the hallway to the living room. She placed the picture face down on the night stand and crawled into bed. His bed smelled like him, and in her exhausted state, it intoxicated and comforted her. For some reason, she felt completely safe with him around, and being surrounded by his scent relaxed her. It wasn’t until she heard rustling and cursing in the kitchen did she wake up. It was about nine o’clock when she rolled over to see the clock on the night stand. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun and stumbled down the hall to the sounds. Chibs was in the kitchen scraping something out of a pan into the trash. She leaned against the cabinet and folded her arms. “Problems?”

He looked at her and then back to the pan. “I’m no’ used ta hostin’ guests tha’ are still ‘ere in the mornin’.”

She laughed. “Just pour a cup of coffee. That’ll hold me over until lunch.”

He handed her a cup and sat down at the table. She watched him stretch with a slight look of pain on his face. It had clearly been a rough night for him. He looked tired and sore, so the couch was probably less than comfortable for him. Isa continued to stand and sip her coffee. “Towels?” she asked.

“Bat’room, tall cabinet.”

She finished her coffee and headed to take a shower. She tossed her clothes on the bed and wrapped herself in a towel. The warm water ran down her spine, making her feel refreshed. This was the kind of spirit medicine she needed. She let the water fall over her shoulders as she the weights she carried leave with it. When she turned the water off, that’s when she heard the bike start up and leave. She had his condo to herself. She wrapped the towel around her and slowly wandered back into the kitchen for another cup of coffee. She saw a note on the table next to her cup.

“Try no’ ta leave, please. I’ll be back later tonigh’. Ye can call yer family, but dinna tell them much. Dinna do anythin’ stupid, mo ghaol. Chibs.”

She rolled her eyes and put the note back on the table. She walked back into the bedroom with her cup of coffee and grabbed her phone. She had seven missed calls, five voicemails, and about two dozen texts. She entered her password and listened. “Isadora White Dove, where are you? Your uncle and I are worried sick. Wolf Tamer came by this morning and said he left you here last night, but when we wake up you are gone. Call me as soon as you get this!”

“White Dove, this is your aunt. Still haven’t heard from you. Call me.”

“Isa, it’s Wolf. Where did you go after I left last night? Your aunt and uncle are worried about you and have the entire tribe on the lookout. I thought I heard a bike pull up at your house last night, but I didn’t want to worry your family. Call me back when you get this.”

“White Dove, Where. Are. You? I’m calling Marcus.”

“Sobrina, why am I getting frantic phone calls from your aunt and uncle? I assured them you were fine, but they seemed worried you were taken or worse. Please call them back so they’ll stop calling here looking for you. Te amo.”

She deleted all of her voicemails and called her Aunt Dana immediately. “White Dove? Oh, thank Esa! Where are you?”

“Tsaangu beaichehku,” she said, “I’m in Charming.”

“How? Your car is here.”

“It’s a long story, Biazi, but I promise when I come home I will explain everything.”

“When will that be?”

“I’m not sure. Probably a few days.”

She heard her sigh. Isa wanted to tell her aunt, but she was afraid of what she would tell her uncles. “If I tell you, you have to swear you won’t tell Charlie or Marcus.”

“I won’t, Isa. Just tell me you’re safe.”

Isa sat down on the bed and sighed. “I’m with the Scot.”

Her aunt became silent. “Not like that! Jax told him to take me somewhere safe.”

“Why do you need to be safe? What have you done?”

“I have no idea. He just made me pack a bag and leave. You cannot tell anyone!”

“Well,” she began, “I called Marcus…”

“I am well aware. He left a message. I will call him and deal with that later, but do not tell anyone where I am.”

“I won’t Isa. Please stay safe and keep me updated.”

“I will.” She hung up the phone and sent Wolf a quick text saying one of the Mayans came to pick her up last night, because she was having a moment of weakness and needed to see her uncle.

Then she dialed Marcus’s number. “Nice to hear from you, Isadora. Where were you?”

“I ran to Charming early in the morning to get a few things for my garden.”

“I’ve never heard her so frantic, though.”

“I promise it’s all straightened out, Tio. Estoy en casa ahora.”

“Muy bien. Te hablaré más tarde, Sobrina. Te amo.”

“Te amo.” She hung up the phone and looked around for her clothes. All she had were her pajamas and a pair of work clothes. Since she wasn’t leaving, she wasn’t about to put on her jeans. Instead, she walked to Chibs’s dresser and looked for a pair of sweatpants. She found a pair and a large SAMCRO t-shirt she could slip into for comfort. After pulling her hair into a messy bun, she made her way to the living room to find some form of entertainment. If she was stuck here, she might as well make the best of it.

Chibs POV

He pulled onto the Teller-Morrow lot and saw Jax waiting for him just outside the clubhouse smoking. He parked his bike and made his way over to his VP. “Mornin’, Jackie Boy,” he said.

“How’s our friend?”

“Pissed. She dinna want ta be there. We need Otto ta press his guy.”

“I know,” Jax said before taking another drag. “He said he’d send word when he’s ready to talk.”

“If I keep her there too long, she’ll kill me.”

Jax laughed. “Find another way to keep her occupied, then.”

Chibs shook his head. “Where’s Tig?”

“He’s inside. He said he’s not going to say anything today, but we will need to watch him.”

He nodded. “I need ta be back by dinner. I dinna have any food. So unless ye want her to starve…”

“I’ll make sure you’re home.”

Clay walked out of the garage and motioned for them to follow. “Church. Now. We have intel about Zobelle and Alvarez that we need to handle.”

Jax put out his cigarette and followed him inside with Chibs close behind.

#Chibs Telford #Chibs x OC #SoA #Sons of Anarchy #Americano

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cloudytreefolk · 5 years

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Assignment - Making a Poster

Research, brainstorming and moodboards

I designed a poster for Chvrches, a synthpop/indie rock band. I started by making a visual collection of band concert posters to get an idea of what’s out there, then listened through Chvrches most recent album a few times and read interviews and articles about the themes and concepts behind the album, song lyrics, and visual content of the band including album artwork, music videos, photo shoots and posters to get a sense of their iconography and visual identity.

I feel like with pop music from the 1950s bands and recording studios have become more aware and intertwined with the art and illustrating worlds and how fruitful this relationship can be commercially and creatively. A strong example that springs to mind is The Beatles and how they used evolving visual language to theme albums and films, signposting new creative eras for the band (Britrock A Hard Day’s Night, more hippy Help era, Sgt. Peppers, Yellow Submarine, stripped back the psychedelics for The White Album and Let it Be). More current bands and pop artists use drastic changes in visual language to signify new phases too - My Chemical Romance in the mid2000s going from general emo vibes to Goth Marching Band to Futuristic Desert Latex Rockers - Taylor Swift’s new music video for the single “Me” where a snake, the symbol from her last visual/musical phase, literally transforms into butterflies, the symbol for her new phase. So I also researched the musical, lyrical and visual thematic timeline of Chvrches through their album covers, music videos and posters to get a sense of their journey.

I came up with some ideas that applied more generally, associated with Chvrches across their whole timeline and probably a bit more geared towards their first album, looking at the combination of classical kind of spiritual imagery mixed with science fiction and dystopian themes in their music and lyrics.

Their third album lyrics have a bit of a different focus, more specifically about humanity in conflict with itself or being disenchanted with humanity. The genre of the music is leaning more towards pop and exploring their 80s influences in a different way.

Below - markmaking while listening to “Love is Dead” album, colours inspired by the album cover.

I went through some collections of artwork and inspiration I’ve been building up over time and picked out images that I felt resonated with the themes I’d identified in Chrvches’ music. This moodboard collected ideas I might use for the content of my poster.

I created another moodboard of artist inspiration and ideas for the style and tone of my poster, which came to mind while I was making the content moodboard. Gustave Doré for his illustrations for The Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost, literature I associate strongly with grappling with humanity and morality and spiritualism. Tove Jansson for her similarly dense linework and exploration of psychological/existential themes in the later Moomin books. I feel like her swirling ink shading really draws you into the emotion of the scene and the character, the environment matching the emotion in pathetic fallacy. Kay Neilsen for his illustrations of classic folk tales, which have a kind of fable-like association for me. Particularly his illustration on a man in a red cloak striking out through the night in snow shoes really struck me with this idea of a quest for humanity, which I felt reflected Chvrches’ theme of searching for light in dark times.

Thumbnails - interactions of elements from content moodboard and style moodboard (labelled A).

I picked these two to develop because I felt they were the most effective in portraying my themes and appealed to me compositionally. In the left thumbnail there’s an minotaur climbing down from ruins into a grotto with a glowing crystal at the bottom with plant life growing around it, fed by it’s light. this was my interpretation of the “quest for redemption/humanity’s worth” theme, with a dystopian scene at the top, then a quest through a dark grotto/labyrinth, then light and life at the bottom, so the image has a beginning, middle and end structure, in keeping with classic fables and folktales. I was inspired by Pedro Requejo Novoa’s minotaur sculpture (which you can see a bit clearer in a moodboard below) and his nuanced and humanising portrayal of an ancient monster from mythology. I liked the idea of having a monster as the protagonist of my design, because when we’re looking for good in humanity we’re looking for good in ourselves too, so it’s his quest for redemption and worth being portrayed.

The thumbnail on the right shows my idea of having some sort of warped, monstrous creature skeleton, like a dinosaur turned dragon, long dead and withered away but protecting a glowing crystal/egg which could still hatch. I was thinking about themes of life in death or from death, like the phoenix myth, and therefore sparks of good in bad (again this idea of finding redemption or worth in warped/monstrous humanity).

Some of my other thumbnails were very inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and John Carpenter’s The Thing, the first text being preoccupied with humanity and technology’s potential for good or evil, the latter featuring a lot of body horror, mutations and monstrosities of the human form.

Moodboard below looking at poster design and ways of placing an illustration into a poster format, I also drew some thumbnails to see how my “minotaur” and “grotesque” designs could work as a poster (B).

Producing line visuals

Minotaur moodboard - key influences (and refs?)

Then minotaur layout process - drawing up and value studies (C)

Grotesque key influences - layout

Annihilation film - the creature and production design of this film is incredible. Features an alien process “infecting” an ecosystem and plant, animal and human life, creating beautiful and disturbing amalgamations of the three.

Jurassic Park - the idea of preserved life in a little glowing piece of amber and humanity interfering/disrupting natural life

Medieval quasi-fantastical monster designs, chimeras of different animals

Originally I was planning to draw my creature as a dinosaur/dragon, but I thought my design would imply monstrous humanity if the skeleton I designed had more mammalian than reptilian features, like a shorter, rounder skull. I used references from a tiger, historic cave bear, dog and monkey skeleton, used a kind of bat wing/seal flipper skeletal structure for the hand, then the lower leg, foot and claw is from a velociraptor as a reference to the kitchen scene in Jurassic Park where the velociraptor clicks her claws against the floor.

Layout process (E)

Line visual/Layouts

I picked my “grotesque” line visual to work up into a rendered piece. I had designed it as a poster from the start, whereas with the “minotaur” design I still had to figure out formatting, text placement etc. I also felt a lot more confident drawing a skeleton and crystal egg rather than a whole grotto scene with depth and perspective and trying to make the character look like they’re interacting with the environment, this is a bit technically beyond me at the moment so it just didn’t look as convincing as the skeleton design. There’s a lot to be said for simpler elements arranged and drawn more sophisticatedly instead of attempting something really complicated and not quite pulling it off.

Colour and rendering key influences/ideas

I went back to my earlier research on Chvrches’ graphic design and looked at Jamie McElvie’s posters created over the course of the band’s career. I liked the idea of trying to make my fit in with their band aesthetic, and noted down some key visual elements that were present in his latest poster and the band’s latest album cover:

- clean line art, flat blocks of colour with cell shading

- neon bright bold colours but a little muted, some more muddy tones like in bottom right corner of album design (this combination also present in these artist posters for Annihilation)

- mostly warm tones of pink, red, orange, yellow, contrasted with blue and green pops

Below I tried two different types of line art, the first is more my regular style, using my favourite brush pen and keeping things spontaneous and a bit messy, thick lines. With the second I tried s style inspired by Jamie McElvie’s - geometric, thin lines, clean and sharp. I used this second style for my poster.

Colour/background colour experiments

Trying different amounts of cell shading layers. I’m still not sure whether I prefer the left or the right, the extra highlight on the right adds this eye-catching pop, but having just three layers on the left might be stronger for its simplicity.

Outcomes

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paranoidsbible · 7 years

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CSI: Petty Internet Baby Fights

We were recently briefed on some fandom drama that involved a coalition being made between several bloggers to form what we like to call a “Net” tactic, however before we dwell into that let’s touch basics first and flesh this out so you’re aware of why you need to block statcounter and sanitize your referrals. Please take the time to read this and realize that this involves an almost sinful amount of ignorance on the target’s/victim’s end and an absurd amount of patience and obsession on the doer’s part. So as many of you already know, Tumblr bloggers love to “stalk” each other with the use of Statcounter. Statcounter’s a simple script to help people by providing the service of real-time web analytics. This means that anyone who isn’t blocking this script or others like it by default will be catalogued and have a slew of meta-data captured. This meta-data is quite useless when not in context with other information on the target/victim, ergo not really useful to anyone unless the target/victim does something to leak even more information that could lead to their blog, an account, a username or a website. Without other information to fill in the blanks, no one has any use for it outside of analytic purposes. This information is gathered by every single site you visit, they’ll see this information always unless they’ve taken steps prevent it or the visitor has taken steps to conceal their browser’s print. Yes, your browser has a print. It shows what makes it unique and several other pieces of information, like your fonts and what add-ons you’ve enabled and similar items. This is why it’s encouraged to have cookies and javascript disabled if you’re not logged into anything and are simply browsing the net or searching an article, but I digress. If you look at the below image, you’ll see what Statcounter sees when you visit any bugged site or blog with its script.

As you can see, this information is quite useless, however if the target/victim didn’t sanitize refs at the very least, you may end up with something like this: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/username or https://www.tumblr.com/blog/activity Those two links are usually what gets someone fingered as being behind an anon ask or viewing someone’s blog. Once you mess that up and the script’s owner labels you, you’re basically identifiable until your IP changes or their logs purge (unless they decided to cough up the cash for a premium account). Having both identified the target/victim and having the browser print, all it takes is some basic info hunting VIA digging through the target’s/victim’s blog and looking for identifiable information, even if it’s just general information like weather, time and so on and so forth. Once an established dossier is made, all it takes is simple guess work to dox someone. That’s the easier way to get doxed with Statcounter, however if we were to discuss the net tactic mentioned above, then you’ll see the lengths people go to for petty internet revenge. So, to start you off, one of the many sub-reddits dedicated to poking fun at the users of Tumblr had a thread up about some obsessed woman who was really, really into Pokémon. We’re talking about levels of passion usually reserved for religious cults or serial killers who’re into pre-teen girls and try to impress them by would-be assassination attempts on political figures. This blogger got so upset about someone leaving a simple anon ask that they rushed to statcounter and discovered that they had a referral link from Reddit. Now the usual behavior for Tumblr users is to shout, scream and mistype words while proclaiming they’re totally having a panic-attack. Nope! Not our little obsessed blogger. This woman went out of her way to get several more bloggers involved to create what we’ll refer to as a “net”. A net is composed of several blogs made for one purpose and that’s to filter out false positives until they can find the target/victim they’re searching for, which is quite a lot of work for the average internet user. Each node (Blog) of the net consisted of either “For” or “Against” tier themes (To guage responses). They were either for or against the fandom in question and/or the blogger who received the anon ask in order to try and seem more random and less like an organized effort. From there, these bloggers took to Reddit and put their own personal blogs (not those from the net) onto the sub-reddit in question in order to gather more hits to see if they can find a similar browser print to that of the anon-ask. Now, take a minute and let this sink in: Without knowing about browser printing, profiling or behavior analysis… these bloggers naturally came to using these things to help single out an individual. They deployed tactics usually used by forensic-nerds to dox a person over words on the internet. Using the little bit of information from the original hit, these users used their own blogs to see if they can gather a similar hit. Once that hit was achieved, they feigned some drama to provoke the target/victim into sending a few more anon-asks. They used these asks to isolate key terms that the individual used besides an overall textual print. Once they had this established, they deployed their net to provoke the target/victim into exposing themselves through a series of canaries. They used false information sent through PMs to give the potential targets/victims a unique blog to visit that was bugged with Statcounter. Once they matched the browser prints up (and thus the intended target/victim), they worked on digging through the target’s/victim’s Reddit account history to learn more details about them until they could create a dossier and use it to sniff out an old, abandoned forum used to shit post among a few friends that stayed on. From that forum they sent out several PMs to the potential target/victim until they once against got a hit on their net. Once they confirmed this was the individual they sought, they dug up old forum posts and traced usernames across the internet to get not only a High school name but also a full name, a previous home address, a Facebook account and a current business address. Using a liberal amount of social engineering, they got the business to give out the target’s/victim’s current address, thus giving them everything they needed to dox the victim/target on Tumblr over a simple ask. Yes, while more time consuming and not officially doxing with Statcounter, this does show how someone with enough patience and obsession could, technically, exploit the analytical service to gain information on someone and devise a plan to gain further information that could potentially in jeopardy. Simple way to beat this is: Sanitize your refs, block 3rd party cookies, block Statcounter (and similar scripts and install and use Hostman. Note: Fandom changed, info left out to prevent the target/victim from getting their doxed leaked again. Also because attention shouldn't be paid to the Type-Bs involved. Further readings: Sanitize your refs | Hostman | Paranoid's Bible | OPSEC | Uncle Daddy's Big Book of Deception | Autism and Selfies | Meta Data and You

#statcounter #scripts #tracking #doxing #tumblr #fandoms #reddit #drama

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katiestreatherphotography · 6 years

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Guest Lecture - LSBU Alumni Students 14.11.17

At this guest lecture we had six alumni students who had graduated in 2017 or 2016, each alumni spoke individually about their experiences at London South Bank University studying BA (Hons) Photography and also about what they have done since graduating. Each alumni had advice about how to cope at LSBU but one thing that rally came across to me was the importance of work experience in the industry which they had all started at LSBU and continued when they had left which added to the finding employment as quickly as they have done. They also all spoke about how to manage our time at university and to take full advantage of the opportunity given here.

One of the students I particularly engaged with was Samantha Thompson who was a 2017 Graduate. First of all she spoke about her Second Year Photo book Project which was titled ‘NANA’, the photo book was based around her Grandma who has dementia. She decided to document the change in her Grandma and has these eerily beautiful, close up, soft narrow depth of field image that shows the details that she feels represents her Grandma. The photographs are taken to look like fragments of her being which Sam has intentionally done to bring attention to her Grandmas dementia. The way she presented her photo book was in a concertina style which also enhance this idea of the fragmented memories and it was presented with blank pages in between to show her loss of valuable memories. I really engaged with this this project and feel like it was executed with grace, dignity and love with made such a beautiful and poignant project.

Ref: https://www.samanthathompsonphotography.com/nana

During her third year at LSBU Sam’s mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Same then created her third year final project around the experiences herself and her mother was going through during her treatment she created a project called ‘The Suite’. Sam never photographed her mother during her treatment but instead photographed the chemotherapy suites she was in for her treatment.The project feels incredibly personal by because there is not any people in her images it means that the viewer can relate to the body of work and makes the process a lot more relatable as its not about one specific person. The set of image have a really subtle beauty about them yet also carry this feeling of unease, unfamiliarity and sadness about them.

Ref: https://www.samanthathompsonphotography.com/the-suite

During her time at London South Bank University she was part of the South Bank Collective, within the Collective she had undertaken roles such as Producer and Head of Student Engagement. Through working in the Collective she learnt essential team working, organisations skilled and how she needs to present herself in things like interviews when she left university. Whilst at university Sam took part in a range of work experience, one she talked about was when she worked for Webber Represents which she said gave her a lot of opportunity to network within the industry and make reputable contacts too. this also gave her opportunity to see what kind of work was being made at the time she was working there. Sam is now the Wallpaper Magazine photography desk intern and writes the ‘In Pictures’ articles, this has given her an opportunity to get her name ‘out there’ everyday which will be a huge benefit to her career in the future.

Ref : https://www.wallpaper.com/gallery/art/inspiring-photography-from-the-wallpaper-picture-desk-2017#214248

#samathathompson #guestlecture #alumni #wallpaper #graduate #workexperience #nana #thesuite #inspiration

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store2oldguys · 7 years

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Who Are Your Power Animals? (Sometimes A Skunk Isn’t Just A Skunk!)

Summary: Native Americans believe that each animal carries its own special energies and gifts, and that each animal has a gift to give each of us. Do you know what animals are guiding you on your individual journey? Are you aware of the gifts they are offering you?

Imaginary Guides

You can think of your Animal Totems as imaginary guides on your life journey. You might also think of them as Power Animals because each one imparts a special energy, or power, to your life.

By obs…

Article Body: Native Americans believe that each animal carries its own special energies and gifts, and that each animal has a gift to give each of us. Do you know what animals are guiding you on your individual journey? Are you aware of the gifts they are offering you?

Imaginary Guides

You can think of your Animal Totems as imaginary guides on your life journey. You might also think of them as Power Animals because each one imparts a special energy, or power, to your life.

By observing how each animal lived, found mates, located food and protected itself, Native Americans were able to define the animal’s particular strengths and weaknesses. For example, bears hibernated during the winter, so it was said that they possessed the magic of dreams. They were also formidable foes, so Bear Energy was also about physical power and strength.

It’s fascinating to note that different cultures (not just Native Americans) came up with similar interpretations for all individual animals.

Spiritual Energies

Native Americans as well as other cultures used Shamans to help them connect with the Earth around them, and with the power of the animals. Using dreams and visions, these Shamen would connect with the “manitou” of the animals. The manitou of an animal is its primal spiritual energy- wolfness, deerness, foxness…etc.

It was believed that every human being had a particular manitou (or several) which they were especially attuned to. These were their personal animal totems.

They discovered their totems through vision quests, although sometimes the totem made themselves known in other ways. For example, if you were attacked by a wild animal, it was believed that that particular animal totem had chosen you itself.

Physical and Spiritual Qualities

Each animal that exists has several qualities, both physical and spiritual. The qualities in your personal Animal Totems are qualities that you might connect with, feel a deep affinity towards, or simply need more of in your life.

Here are some brief descriptions of the qualities of a few animals. Read carefully. One of them just might be one of your Animal Totems.

Skunk: Self-confidence, self-esteem, self-respect, creative energy, paying attention to intuition and inner knowings

Alligator: Power to survive, keeper of ancient wisdom, clairvoyance

Cat: Magic, mystery, curiosity, independence, healing, unpredictability, inner balance, moving through fears

Frog: Seeing in all directions, physical and emotional cleansing, metamorphosis, creative power

Shark: Peace, solitude, emotional transformation, power of protection

Your Animal Totems instruct and protect you throughout your life’s journey. When you discover an animal that speaks strongly to you, an animal you feel you must draw more deeply into your life, try surrounding yourself with images of this animal. This will let the animal know it is welcome in your space.

Finding Your Animal Totems

One way to “meet” one of your Animal Totems is to do a guided visualization. Create Sacred Space by using music, a candle, incense, or a smudge stick. Sit quietly and very slowly scan your body, paying particular attention to each of the seven chakras. Then choose one chakra to return to and focus your attention there. Ask the animal who resides there to make its nature known to you. Wait. Listen. Watch.

Remember to be patient. Don’t give up. You might not “see” anything the first time you do this.

Sometimes your Animal Totem is nearby, just out of your sight, watching you to see if you’re serious about connecting with it. Continue to do this guided visualization until one of your animals makes itself known to you.

During your meditation, when you do “meet” one of your Animal Totems, look it in the eye and remember to greet it with affection and curiosity. Ask it how it’s feeling today. Ask it its name.

Remember that this encounter is totally in your imagination; therefore it is in your control. There is nothing to fear.

At some point, move from your body into the body of the animal. Look at yourself from the eyes of this sacred animal and notice what you see. After a while, return to your own body and continue your conversation with it.

Ask your Animal Guide the following questions, so that you can learn more about its meaning for you and its place on your journey:

Who are you? What do you have to give me? What do you want from me? How will I remember what you have taught me?

Be sure to give it ample time to respond, and expect to be surprised!

You might be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised by an animal that makes itself known to you. Try to accept the animal who wants to be with you rather than forcing a different one to be there.

Trust the process- My Summer of Skunks

It is generally believed that an Animal Totem chooses you, and not vice versa. The animals you love just might be your totems but then again, they might not! The animals which come to you when you are open and accepting are the ones you need to work with. They will have the strengths and weaknesses that you already posses, and they will have lessons for you to learn.

A few years ago, I was continually seeing skunks in our front yard, even in broad daylight. This is highly unusual skunk behavior, I assure you! A few times I also glimpsed a white skunk with a black stripe!

Later, I learned that skunks are really about self-respect, self-esteem, and inner protection through intuition. And I was seeing them at a season of my life when I felt completely powerless and unprotected regarding some difficult family situations which directly affected my self-respect and self-esteem.

Coincidence? I think not! I haven’t seen them brazenly walk across my front yard since that summer several years ago. I believe that Skunk had a message for me that year, and I believe that if I need him again, he will be there.

Honor Your Animal Guides with SoulCollage®

SoulCollage® is a personal growth tool that is a mystical magical blend of intuitive art and imaginative play. It was created by Seena Frost in 1989 as she worked with clients in her therapy practice in California.

One of the suits in the SoulCollage® deck is Companions, where you can create unique collaged cards to honor your special animal guides. Making a card like this, and working with it within the SoulCollage® process is an excellent way to honor these special animal energies, and to get to know your animal totems in a creative, imaginative way.

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1001sarvikam-blog · 7 years

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CONCEPT STATEMENT: What is a Glitch?

When I started my research into what glitch actually was, I only came across articles about digital/analogue glitches and I wasn’t satisfied with the results. I wanted to put more on my poster. Then, in week 2 we were put into groups of people doing the same topics and that’s where it actually got interesting. Our discussion was quite vast and not limited to the digital characteristics of it. We discussed glitch in nature, in organisations and even the solar system! The best part was our tutor telling us to not limit ourselves to digital/analogue glitch. Which got me thinking about what glitch actually was. Questions kept on leading to more questions. In the end, I decided to consolidate everything that I understood about Glitch, with stuff that I got from my research and a little bit of what others thought about glitch. So, I took some images from my camera roll, edited them to make them look like they were glitched(ref. Articles that I read about glitch art) Then, in the blank spaces I wrote what I thought about glitch, it's characteristics, some examples. And to top it all off, I stuck a blank piece of paper with the heading "A List of Glitches" and had a few people write down the first word that popped into their mind when they thought of glitch. By the end of it, I didn't think my work was just a poster, but in fact, it kind of became a concept statement for my next assignment. My interpretation of glitch was that it could be anything. Good or bad. Inconsequential or something with a huge consequence. It can be something as simple as a misprint in my student card, due to which the barcode scanner can't read it, and as a consequence-having to manually type out my student ID. Or it can be as complex as a small rock being accidentally pushed out of its orbit (which in this case is an organised system) and then get pulled by the earth's gravitational force, thereby becoming a meteorite and finishing off and entire species (the dinosaurs) But, also giving way to a dramatic evolution of earth. If you think about it, even the Big Bang could've possibly been a glitch. History is full of Glitches- from scientists accidentally discovering periodic elements to the overall evolution of planet earth. And I would like to delve into this area a little more for my next assignment. My one and only conclusion from this assignment is that Glitch is Change. And Change Can Be Good or Bad.

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sportinnovation · 7 years

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Peddling the Smith myth

Embed from Getty Images

Liverpool’s boxing brothers became British champions. It has a ring to it, but it’s tempting to tell a taller tale. Problem is, are the Smiths actually skilled enough to become genuine world champions?

Stories of great sporting achievement are rarely written under a cold eye. When people look upon the Smiths’ story in years to come, the flaws will be sanded away, the details will be varnished, and the tale will gather into mythology.

As it stands, it reads something like this: four brothers, humble and hard-working, grafted to become British champions. This is fine as far as it goes. For each to have risen to this level is a worthy achievement, but we are already seeing signs of the story warping.

At every turn, we are reminded of these fighting brothers by the Sky PR machine, the Smith Brothers brand, reams of articles, proud Scousers, and others who are just swept along. But how good are they? When you skim away all the extraneous bullshit, is the story really that extraordinary?

Paul Smith

The eldest of the four brothers is a surprisingly polarising figure. On the one hand, Paul comes across as a likeable, fair-minded pundit on Sky, yet many are less enamoured by Paul the boxer. Perhaps this is because he keeps getting world title shots despite never proving himself beyond domestic level. For those saying this is harsh, it is worth looking at his record.

His standout wins came against domestic rival Tony Dodson back in 2010 and 2013, but he has always struggled against world-level operators. Both George Groves and James DeGale knocked him out, and Andre Ward toyed with him before the ref called it off in the ninth.

In fairness, two of his better performances came in world title fights in Germany against Arthur Abraham, both of which ended in a points defeats, but surely you must beat at least one contender to be considered a world-level operator?

In that respect, Smith’s CV is thin, with zero wins against top 10 fighters on his record. In fact, if you look through Boxrec data, you will see that the best active boxer he has beaten is ranked 192 in the world. Nevertheless, the Smith name carries weight and recognition. As such, don’t be surprised if he jumps the queue to fight for a world title.

Liam Smith

Liam Smith is the only one of the brothers to have won a world title, having captured the vacant WBO light-middleweight strap in 2015. However, like his elder brother Paul, Liam Smith’s record against world level opposition is modest.

Arguably, he has fought only one world level opponent in Saúl (Canelo) Álvarez, who outclassed him and stopped him in the ninth round. Scour the records and you will find that he, too, has beaten few fighters of note. According to Boxrec, the five opponents he faced before Canelo currently stand on rungs 89, 65, 81, 391, and 36 of the world ladder. Even if you prefer a more opinion-based metric, you will find that he has neither faced nor beaten any fighter in the world’s top 10 on either the Ring magazine or Boxing News rankings.

This is not meant as a criticism of the fighter himself. He has beaten those put in front of him and seized his opportunity to claim one of the world baubles. However, we are still in the dark as to how good he is. The upcoming matchup against unbeaten Welshman Liam Williams will give us a better idea.

Stephen Smith

Many fighters perform admirably against world champions without ever really looking like beating them. Stephen Smith showed consider mettle against Jason Sosa and José Pedraza to rise from the canvas before losing both bouts.

However, like Paul Smith, Stephen is yet to actually beat a top 10-ranked opponent and you shudder to think what the division’s top fighters - Vasyl Lomachenko et al - would do to him.

Indeed, the highest ranked active boxer he has beaten is 66th in the Boxrec standings; and since beating Gary Buckland in five rounds back in 2013, he has marked time with six and eight rounders, blitzed through the usual cannon fodder, and lost a couple of times at world-level.

Calum Smith

The aura surrounding Callum Smith is baffling to some of boxing’s more hardened observers. For years, Eddie Hearn and assorted disciples have told us how Smith will become one of the dominant super middleweights, yet only now has he been slated for a meaningful fight (against Anthony Dirrell this summer).

Bear in mind, Callum Smith is almost 27-years-old and we still have no significant fights upon which to judge him. Like each of his brothers, he is yet to beat a top 10-rated fighter; and Callum’s case, he is yet to even face anyone in the same bracket.

Ahead of his fight for the vacant world WBC world title, his last three opponents were Luke Blackledge, Norbert Nemesepati, and Cesar Hernan Reynoso. Boxrec’s rankings for his last six opponents reads 49, 75, 59, 30, 28, and 44 - hardly ideal preparation for the most difficult test of your career on foreign soil.

Before that, he did deliver an eye-catching knockout in a local derby against Rocky Fielding, but when Christopher Rebrasse and a faded Hadillah Mohoumadi are among your signature wins, you know the quality of opposition doesn’t run deep.

At this point, it’s worth comparing his track record with other British fighters in his weight class. Admittedly, DeGale has just turned 31, but he has fought Badou Jack, an admittedly shopworn Lucian Bute, and Andre Dirrell in three of his last four fights (all on the road too). Earlier in his career, he took on fellow prospect George Groves in his 11th fight and moved up to European level thereafter.

Arguably, Groves provides an even less forgiving comparison. Despite being only two years older than Smith, Groves has already fought deGale, Badou Jack, Carl Froch twice, Martin Murray, and Glen Johnson - and even the aforementioned Christopher Rebrasse.

Clearly, Groves could have been guided along an easier path to a world title, but you certainly can’t blame the man for repeatedly seeking out the best. As for Smith, it is a measure of the current promotional climate that he has been reduced to keep-busy fights for two of his prime years while he waiting for a world title shot.

That said, he is a skilful fighter, looks huge at the weight, and appears destined to win a world title. For some, the laurels have been bestowed too soon, but at least we’ll see if promoter Eddie Hearn is sage or snake oil salesman when Smith lays gloves on Dirrell this summer.

Epilogue

It is a business, they say. We know this only too well. Business means boxing fans must endure circus fights with blag artists and blowhards, rugby players awkwardly pounding recycled journeymen, and house fighters getting corralled into world title fights against obscure European-level opponents.

The cynic in me wonders if the Smith brothers will be manoeuvred into world title challenges ahead of more deserving fighters. Why? Because it serves the story. Will history remember if they won a vacant title, or if they eked a decision against a faded veteran? I doubt it. Four brothers winning world titles will sound like the greatest story ever told, and it will earn a lot of people a lot of money.

It certainly isn’t their fault. It would just have a hollow ring to it, that’s all.

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thethursdaythree-blog · 7 years

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March 30, 2017 • For the Birds

There's a good chance I'll run into something. If I don't run into something, I'll probably trip and fall. I've been lucky so far.

It all started two Saturdays ago when I woke up before the sun, rolled out of bed, grabbed my rain jacket, laced up my Bean Boots, and drove to the parking lot of the Wild Bird Center in Chapel Hill. I pulled in – legitimately surprised that people actually did this – turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.

"Hi, I'm Brent," I offered. "I'm here for the bird walk. I've never done this before. Am I in the right place?"

One-by-one, the others gathered in that parking lot greeted me – each of us standing in a steady mist.

"I'm Tom." "Tommy." "Verne."

"It's nice to meet you." I was in the right place.

From there, the nine of us set off for Mason Farm Biological Reserve – a 367-acre plot of forests and fields home to birds and trees and bugs and all kinds of wildlife. We spent nearly four hours that morning walking a total of three miles – stopping every few minutes to listen and wait and watch. We'd take a few steps. Pause. Look around. Take a few more steps. Someone would hear something and point, and everyone else would simultaneously raise the binoculars to our faces and focus (in a super cool way) to try to spot the birds.

It was cold and rainy… and exhilarating. I know. It sounds ridiculous. And as I've shared with "friends" that I went on a bird walk, the responses have been hilarious:

"Are you fifty?" "Where's your stamp collection, Grandpa?" "There's no way that's cool."

But I'm hooked. I've signed up for two more bird walks already. (Let me know if you want to come.) I've upgraded my binoculars, too, and purchased a field guide that stays in my man satchel.

And I'm constantly walking around now with my eyes upward, moving from tree to tree, trying to catch a glimpse of a bird I've never seen before. That's why there's a good chance I'll run into something.

That day, we saw over forty species of birds. Thrashers and woodpeckers and pine warblers. I left my phone at home. (Unintentionally, but still.) And I was caught up in my new friends' excitement about seeing something rare. I was in awe of their ability to identify a bird from afar based simply on its song or how it was flying. Mostly, I was glad to be doing something that didn't involve staring at a screen.

As I've geeked out over the last week-and-a-half, I've experienced the joy of being able to name things around me that, until recently, had been hidden in plain sight. This amateur birder can now pick out a mockingbird call, tell the difference between a crow and a grackle, and never knew how many cardinals there were in his neighborhood (which is annoying for this Cubs fan). I've started to notice how rare it is to walk outside and not hear a bird singing. It's literally a whole new world.

So this week's Thursday Three is for the birds.

"The Tweetest Thing" – a 22-second sketch by Jennifer Moxley

+ Bird Man

I read this piece from Longreads about two weeks before I signed up for my first bird walk. Eva Holland tells the story of Noah Strycker who got into birding as a teenager. In 2015, he traveled the globe to set a world record, identifying over 6,000 species of birds in 365 days. The article is good for that story alone, but the author also describes how for so many, bird watching "satisfies a 'bone-deep, soul-deep need to classify and organize the world around us.'"

The term umwelt comes from the German word meaning, roughly, "environment" or "surroundings." But in this context it refers to a given species' way of perceiving the world around it: dogs organize their world by smell, bees by ultraviolet light, and so on. Carol Kaesuk Yoon, a biologist, proposed in her 2009 book, Naming Nature, that we humans, in turn, navigate through and organize our world via a system of ordering and classification of other natural beings, and that this system is remarkably consistent across history, languages, cultures, ecosystems, and societies. Our umwelt is "our shared human vision of life."

To categorize our world is to know our world. And – for better or worse – it's part of what it means to be human. We eat, sleep, breathe, and put things into categories.

Click here to enjoy this article from Longreads.

+ Invisibilia: Outside In

Last year's season finale of the _Invisibilia_ podcast featured an episode called "Outside In." The episode detailed stories of transformation by people who took on something and hoped it stuck – sort of a "fake it 'til you make it" approach. For instance, one of the stories describes how an ordinary guy fakes being a celebrity and is mobbed by "fans" who have no idea who he is.

But the story that caught my ear came near the end of the episode. The hosts interview Jim Verhagen who runs the blog, _Readings from the Northside_. Jim set out to spend more time in nature with the hope of experiencing transformation. So he went to the Jersey Shore to watch the birds. But that's where it gets a little weird. Jim would take pictures of the birds (normal) and then start making up stories about them (what?). He gave them names and personalities – Mac Daddy, Mr. Handbersome, Jack, Tufters – and then wrote about them and their "drama" on his blog. From the transcript:

This is not your average isn't Mother Earth amazing - photography blog. No, what Jim does is essentially create the TMZ or Perez Hilton version of a nature blog because alongside shockingly clear and intimate shots of Mac Daddy and the other animals on the beach, Jim is writing these really kind of gossipy reports.

The blog explodes. And the way Jim is transformed is surprising and real.

See, when you see it in animals, when you see the kind of constant anxiety as we'd describe it that they have to live with, you realize that it's natural, that that's - that that state of constantly being kind of alert and a little concerned and watching your back…

Is my wife going to wind up falling out love with me? Am I going to lose this big customer? Constantly putting out fires. That's actually the natural state for a lot of animals. And so in a way it is for us.

Observing these creatures and making up these ridiculous stories helped Jim find a semblance of peace with his own stuff. It helped him find some comfort in his own skin. Click here to listen to the episode. Click here to read the transcript. Click here to visit Jim's blog.

+ Such Singing in the Wild Branches

For your soul's comfort, Mary Oliver's poem, "Such Singing in the Wild Branches," rounds out this week's Thursday Three. May it leave you listening – wondering – "is it spring? Is it morning?"

It was spring and finally I heard him among the first leaves— then I saw him clutching the limb

in an island of shade with his red-brown feathers all trim and neat for the new year. First, I stood still

and thought of nothing. Then I began to listen. Then I was filled with gladness— and that's when it happened,

when I seemed to float, to be, myself, a wing or a tree— and I began to understand what the bird was saying,

and the sands in the glass stopped for a pure white moment while gravity sprinkled upward

like rain, rising, and in fact it became difficult to tell just what it was that was singing— it was the thrush for sure, but it seemed

not a single thrush, but himself, and all his brothers, and also the trees around them, as well as the gliding, long-tailed clouds in the perfectly blue sky— all, all of them

were singing. And, of course, yes, so it seemed, so was I. Such soft and solemn and perfect music doesn't last

for more than a few moments. It's one of those magical places wise people like to talk about. One of the things they say about it, that is true,

is that, once you've been there, you're there forever. Listen, everyone has a chance. Is it spring, is it morning?

Are there trees near you, and does your own soul need comforting? Quick, then— open the door and fly on your heavy feet; the song may already be drifting away.

As always, thanks for reading and subscribing to the Thursday Three. I'm grateful you make this email a part of your weekly rhythm. If you dig it, I'd love if you'd tell your friends. Perhaps you'll consider forwarding it to your friends or using the share and tweet buttons below. And I'm always open to feedback, suggestions, or friendly correspondence. Just hit reply and write something. You know where to find me. Until next Thursday, find some birds.

Peace,

Brent

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terryspear · 7 years

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Finished proofing Loving the White Bear! I approved the final version. The print version should be available soon! https://www.createspace.com/6918350

Rob MacMathan and his brother and a friend run the White Bear Wilderness Adventures Tour, White Bear, where polar bear shifters have staked a claim. This is their last tour group of the season, but when photojournalist, Alicia Raycroft, touches Rob and envisions what he sees, though her paranormal abilities deal with psychometry, whereas he’s clairvoyant, they’re both stunned. He witnesses a fight with an enraged grizzly; she sees a polar trying to eat her, which he interprets to mean he’s wearing his polar bear coat and trying to save her. In no way can he reveal the truth to her. Yet, just that connection between them pushes them to go beyond his self-imposed boundaries with both a client and a human.

Alicia is fascinated with Rob, not only because he’s rugged and handsome and just as interested in her, he intrigues her like no other man has ever done when her touching him reveals he has abilities like she has. She envisions a white bear coming for her as snow swirls about her in the Alaskan wilderness, yet she’s determined to take this trek even if it’s her last. She believes fate is predetermined and nothing she will do can change the outcome anyway. Alicia and Rob are already headed down one dangerous path, so why not risk a chance at love too? Only he has more dark secrets he’s unwilling to share

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSATOZ5

iBooks:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/loving-the-white-bear/id1198703410?mt=11

BN:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loving-the-white-bear-terry-spear/1125534869?ean=2940157439293

Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/loving-the-white-bear

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Terry_Spear_Loving_the_White_Bear?id=tP_4DQAAQBAJ

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/698737

I also discovered the links are now available to preorder the next 3 books coming out this year! :) <3

Between a Wolf and a Hard Place April 2017

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Another Silver Wolf Novel!

April 4, 2017

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Between-Wolf-Hard-Place-Silver/dp/1492645117

Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/between-a-wolf-and-a-hard-place

iBooks:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/between-a-wolf-and-a-hard-place/id1179132818?mt=11

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/between-a-wolf-and-a-hard-place-terry-spear/1123951848?ean=9781492645115

Indigo Chapters: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/between-a-wolf-and-a/9781492645122-item.html?ref=item_page%3Avariation

SEAL Wolf Undercover August 2017

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SEAL-Wolf-Undercover-Terry-Spear/dp/1492645141

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seal-wolf-undercover-terry-spear/1125022685?ean=9781492645146

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/seal-wolf-undercover/id1203903299?mt=11

Kobo:

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Terry_Spear_SEAL_Wolf_Undercover?id=lnsFDgAAQBAJ

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/seal-wolf-undercover/9781492645146

Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas Oct 2017

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-White-Christmas-Terry-Spear/dp/1492645176

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreaming-of-a-white-wolf-christmas-terry-spear/1125526072?ean=9781492645184

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dreaming-of-a-white-wolf-christmas/id1202348414?mt=11

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Terry_Spear_Dreaming_of_a_White_Wolf_Christmas?id=KHwFDgAAQBAJ

Kobo:

Indio: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/dreaming-of-a-white-wolf/9781492645177

So I was cutting back the esperanza after the freeze killed it back. I wasn’t sure if the leaves would come back on the branches, but they weren’t. They’re coming from the ground. But then I saw a wondrous site. :) <3 It pays to pay attention to detail.

So I left the lizard’s hiding place alone.

Back to all the deadlines! :) <3

Have a wonderful weekend!

Terry Spear

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears: http://www.celticbears.com

Loving the White Bear–Print Version Approved! Finished proofing Loving the White Bear! I approved the final version. The print version should be available soon!

#Between a Wolf and a Hard Place #Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas #esperanza #lizard #loving the white bear #photography #SEAL Wolf Undercover

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provincebrands · 7 years

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Insight: February 14, 2017: The Man Who Had 3,859 Rolls Royces

INSIGHT. Ok This is a very nontraditional insight. It’s also the first and likely one of very few NSFW insights I’ll ever share. I love metaphor. It’s one of the most powerful ways of impressing an idea upon someone, making something memorable. By connecting the concept you’re trying to express with a visual image or emotion, metaphors excite disparate regions in your brain and build stronger memories than facts alone or other means of narrative storytelling. Here are some articles on the importance of metaphor in effective communication.

http://centerforcoachingexcellence.com/blog/2014/7/23/leadership-conversations

http://www.peterfuda.com/2012/11/06/3-reasons-why-metaphors-are-powerful/

http://www.su.lt/bylos/mokslo_leidiniai/jmd/10_01_27/svaziene.pdf

https://www.pinterest.com/ianwthomson/visual-metaphors-in-advertising/

As someone who’s spent a lot of my life studying storytelling, I’ve thought a lot about metaphor and how it can be used to make something memorable. But try as I might, I will never master metaphor like Richard Brautigan.

Richard Brautigan is my favorite author. Unfortunately he took his own life and only ever published 10 novels. I haven’t read them all but I’ve read quite a few and love everything I’ve read. Trout Fishing in America is pretty amazing if you’re looking to learn more about him. It’s just incredible.

https://www.amazon.com/Trout-Fishing-America-Richard-Brautigan/dp/0547255276/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487309346&sr=8-1&keywords=trout+fishing+in+america

I’m going to paste below my favorite chapter from this book. You don’t need to have read what comes before for this chapter to make sense. It’s really a standalone. I think this single chapter might be my favorite work of fiction ever. That’s a bold claim. But its true. It’s just phenomenal and there’s a lot we can learn from him about metaphor. It’s not very long – just 5 minute read or less. But If you’re in a rush or don’t have a lot of time don’t read it now. Make a mental note and come back later tonight or when you have some time to digest. You’re going to like this. Let yourself enjoy it. The chapter is called “Sea Sea Rider”. Here is is:

SEA, SEA RIDER

The man who owned the bookstore was not magic. He was not a

three-legged crow on the dandelion side of the mountain.

He was, of course, a Jew, a retired merchant seaman

who had been torpedoed in the North Atlantic and floated

there day after day until death did not want him. He had a

young wife, a heart attack, a Volkswagen and a home in

Marin County. He liked the works of George Orwell, Richard

Aldington and Edmund Wilson.

He learned about life at sixteen, first from Dostoevsky

and then from the whores of New Orleans.

The bookstore was a parking lot for used graveyards.

Thousands of graveyards were parked in rows like cars.

Most of the kooks were out of print, and no one wanted to

read them any more and the people who had read the books

had died or forgotten about them, but through the organic

process of music the books had become virgins again. They

wore their ancient copyrights like new maidenheads.

I went to the bookstore in the afternoons after I got off

work, during that terrible year of 1959.

He had a kitchen in the back of the store and he brewed

cups of thick Turkish coffee in a copper pan. I drank coffee

and read old books and waited for the year to end. He had a

small room above the kitchen.

It looked down on the bookstore and had Chinese screens

in front of it. The room contained a couch, a glass cabinet

with Chinese things in it and a table and three chairs. There

was a tiny bathroom fastened like a watch fob to the room.

I was sitting on a stool in the bookstore one afternoon

reading a book that was in the shape of a chalice. The book

had clear pages like gin, and the first page in the book read:

Billy

the Kid

born

November 23,

1859

New York

City

The owner of the bookstore came up to me, and put his

arm on my shoulder and said, "Would you like to get laid?"

His voice was very kind.

"No, " I said.

"You're wrong, " he said, and then without saying anything

else, he went out in front of the bookstore, and stopped a pair

of total strangers, a man and a woman. He talked to them for

a few moments. I couldn't hear what he was saying. He pointed

at me in the bookstore. The woman nodded her head and

then the man nodded his head.

They came into the bookstore.

I was embarrassed. I could not leave the bookstore because

they were entering by the only door, so I decided to go

upstairs and go to the toilet. I got up abruptly and walked

to the back of the bookstore and went upstairs to the bathroom,

and they followed after me. I could hear them on the stairs.

I waited for a long time in the bathroom and they waited

an equally long time in the other room. They never spoke.

When I came out of the bathroom, the woman was lying naked

on the couch, and the man was sitting in a chair with his

hat on his lap.

"Don't worry about him, " the girl said. "These things

make no difference to him. He's rich. He has 3, 859 Rolls

Royces." The girl was very pretty and her body was like a

clear mountain river of skin and muscle flowing over rocks

of bone and hidden nerves.

"Come to me, " she said. "And come inside me for we are

Aquarius and I love you."

I looked at the man sitting in the chair. He was not smiling

and he did not look sad.

I took off my shoes and all my clothes. The man did not

say a word.

The girl's body moved ever so slightly from side to side.

There was nothing else I could do for my body was like

birds sitting on a telephone wire strung out down the world,

clouds tossing the wires carefully.

I laid the girl.

It was like the eternal 59th second when it becomes a minute

and then looks kind of sheepish.

"Good, " the girl said, and kissed me on the face.

The man sat there without speaking or moving or sending

out any emotion into the room. I guess he was rich and owned

3, 859 Rolls Royces.

Afterwards the girl got dressed and she and the man left.

They walked down the stairs and on their way out, I heard

him say his first words.

"Would you like to go to Emie's for dinner?"

"I don't know, " the girl said. "It's a little early to think

about dinner. "

Then I heard the door close and they were gone. I got

dressed and went downstairs. The flesh about my body felt

soft and relaxed like an experiment in functional background

music.

The owner of the bookstore was sitting at his desk behind

the counter. "I'll tell you what happened up there, " he said,

in a beautiful anti-three-legged-crow voice, in an anti-dandelion

side of the mountain voice.

"What?"I said.

"You fought in the Spanish Civil War. You were a young

Communist from Cleveland, Ohio. She was a painter. A New

York Jew who was sightseeing in the Spanish Civil War as if

it were the Mardi Gras in New Orleans being acted out by

Greek statues.

"She was drawing a picture of a dead anarchist when you

met her. She asked you to stand beside the anarchist and act

as if you had killed him. You slapped her across the face

and said something that would be embarrassing for me to

repeat.

You both fell very much in love.

"Once while you were at the front she read Anatomy of

Melancholy and did 349 drawings of a lemon.

"Your love for each other was mostly spiritual.Neither

one of you performed like millionaires in bed.

"When Barcelona fell, you and she flew to England, and

then took a ship back to New York. Your love for each other

remained in Spain. It was only a war love. You loved only

yourselves, loving each other in Spain during the war. On

the Atlantic you were different toward each other and became

every day more and more like people lost from each other.

"Every wave on the Atlantic was like a dead seagull dragging

its driftwood artillery from horizon to horizon.

"When the ship bumped up against America, you departed

without saying anything and never saw each other again. The

last I heard of you, you were still living in Philadelphia. "

"That's what you think happened up there?" I said.

"Partly, " he said. "Yes, that's part of it. "

He took out his pipe and filled it with tobacco and lit it.

"Do you want me to tell you what else happened up there?"

he said.

"Go ahead."

"You crossed the border into Mexico, " he said. "You

rode your horse into a small town. The people knew who

you were and they were afraid of you. They knew you had

killed many men with that gun you wore at your side. The

town itself was so small that it didn't have a priest.

"When the rurales saw you, they left the town. Tough as

they were, they did not want to have anything to do with you.

The rurales left.

You became the most powerful man in town.

You were seduced by a thirteen-year-old girl, and you

and she lived together in an adobe hut, and practically all

you did was make love.

"She was slender and had long dark hair. You made love

standing, sitting, lying on the dirt floor with pigs and chickens

around you. The walls, the floor and even the roof of the

hut were coated with your sperm and her come.

"You slept on the floor at night and used your sperm for

a pillow and her come for a blanket.

"The people in the town were so afraid of you that they

could do nothing.

"After a while she started going around town without any

clothes on, and the people of the town said that it was not a

good thing, and when you started going around without any

clothes, and when both of you began making love on the back

of your horse in the middle of the zocalo, the people of the

town became so afraid that they abandoned the town. It's

been abandoned ever since. "People won't live there.

"Neither of you lived to be twenty-one. It was not neces-

sary.

"See, I do know what happened upstairs, " he said. He

smiled at me kindly. His eyes were like the shoelaces of a

harpsichord.

I thought about what happened upstairs.

"You know what I say is the truth, " he said. "For you

saw it with your own eyes and traveled it with your own body.

Finish the book you were reading before you were interrupted.

I'm glad you got laid. "

Once resumed the pages of the book began to speed up

and turn faster and faster until they were spinning like wheels

in the sea.

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